Beach events in
Orange County are
huge affairs ranging
from sand castle
competition in
Corona del Mar to
the big
US
Open of
Surfing in
Huntington Beach.
That particular
event unofficially
attracts over 250,00
attendees.

Each beach has its
flavor and fun. Some
are low-key and some
are a bit over the
top. But in an
annual roundup, with
the effort to
represent all we
can, here's a list
of beach events to
keep your eyes
pealed for at Orange
County beaches.

January 1 each year
is a Polar Plunge.
Attendance is not
large enough to call
this a top event,
but we're letting
you know about it
because it launches
the annual Orange
County Beach Events
calendar quite
nicely.
Huntington Beach
Polar Plunge
and
a marathon on Super
Bowl Sunday each
year in February are
a few "HB" events.

From January to
March each year,
look for whales. The
whale migration is a
big deal as you see
these monstrous,
beautiful creatures
up close and
personal in a boat
excursion. In Dana
Point there's an
annual Festival
of Whales, along
with
whale watching boat
tours you
can take out of Dana
Point Harbor to
watch the
mesmerizing
creatures who travel
thousands of miles
twice a year.

The Newport Beach
Film Festival
runs approx. 10 days
in April. Around 300
indy films are shown
during this event,
which attracts many
producers and
film-makers as well
as movie goers. It
really is a great
opportunity to view
films not often seen
on the big screen.

On Mother's Day
Weekend in May,
Sunset Beach Art
Festival is held
each year. The
greenbelt of this
one-mile long
community is dressed
up with booths,
vendors, foods and
awards for the
winners.

June brings a mix of
the June Gloom and
sunshine to the
Orange County
beaches. One of the
fun events to ring
in the summer is
Huntington Beach
Pier Swim.

On the 4th of
July the beaches
all come alive with
crowds, families and
fun. It's real
Americana in Orange
County. The biggest
fireworks show
(outside Anaheim's
Disneyland) is at
the Newport Dunes.
Cars must pay a fee
to park at this
event that begins at
noon and goes till
around 10 p.m. Every
beach is crowded and
in fact, this is one
of the top
attendance days for
Newport Beach. The
street barricades on
the Balboa peninsula
go up around 10 a.m.
in the morning and
from then on out,
it's an amazing mass
of people. In
Huntington Beach the
largest 4th of
July Parade west
of the Mississippi
is held from 10 a.m.
to noon. Other
events include
pier expo, a 5K
run, and free
fireworks show.

Ocean Festival
is held in San
Clemente in
mid-July. A
fantastic family
event includes
games, sand castle
contests, bands,
booths, and tons of
food. Just as it
ends, the US Open of
Surfing is launched
the last week of
July. This is an
event ideal for
youth and extreme
sports enthusiasts.
There are plenty of
old people and young
adults rocking to
the beach vibe and
this sand-kicking,
foot-stomping event.

July through August
is the Festival
of the Arts and
Pageant of the
Masters sell-out
celebration in
Laguna Beach. Not
one but several
large art venues
offer artwork
galore. The Pageant
of the Masters
unfortunately sells
out so you won't
have a chance to
watch it unless you
buy tickets far
ahead of the event.

In September, the
Run for the Cure
at Fashion Island
attracts over 20,000
participants.

October settles down
at the Orange County
beaches. If you find
a crowd, that's very
unusual for this
time of year.
Street fairs for
Halloween mostly
take place near the
beach, through
rarely right on it.

November is the
annual Turkey
Trot at Doheny
Beach. It's held on
Thanksgiving Day as
a counter-measure to
excess calorie
intake. It
really is great fun.

December is the
month of the boats.
Waterways are lit
for harbor parades
held in Dana Point
and Newport Beach.
Huntington Beach
features Cruise
of Lights held
for approx. 10 days.
It is a boat ride to
watch the houses lit
in Huntington
Harbour. But the
oldest, largest boat
parade may be the
Newport Beach Christmas Boat
Parade.